Skin – The Map of Your Health

Your skin is a very noticeable and visual representation of your overall health. Changes to your skin can signify important changes within your body. Think about hormonal changes and the spots that suddenly appear and then disappear at certain times of the month. The thyroid for example produces hormones that control the natural fats which protect your skin, it also controls cell growth.

Keeping an eye on your skin and your health in general is important. When the natural collagen and elastin break down in your skin, stretch marks occur. Keeping the skin hydrated with plenty of water can help as can keeping the body moisturized from the outside in. Brown age spots are falsely named. They are not to do with age per se, they are as a result of damage through exposure to the sun. The sun has an adverse effect on your skin, but these sun spots can be avoided in the main by covering up with a good sunscreen each day.

Aging generally causes your skin cells to shed slowly and even though the cells are shed and new cells are produced, growing older prevents that natural young and fresh looking skin. Children’s skin cells shed every few weeks and it is this process that makes their skin look so wonderful. Aging causes the dead cells to stay on the surface and this leaves us with dull-looking skin.

Color changes to the skin can indicate disease within the body. When there is a yellowing sheen to the skin, this can be indicative of liver disease and of course medical advice should be sought. But also, darkening to the skin in the areas exposed to the sun, to old scars and to the joints can point towards adrenal disease.

If eyes are the mirror to the soul, your skin is most definitely a map of your health and as such, any changes should be monitored. Changes will not always mean serious problems but it makes sense to care for your skin and to take any sudden changes as indicators that all may not be well within your body.